The brief for this 1930’s sandstone beach house was to modernise it.

It was trimmed in dark timber had no structural beams the roof was sagging and the rooms were small and dark and the windows didn’t function, needing replacement. The sandstone had been affected by the salt and much of it needed replacing. The solution was to re frame the roof, line the attic and put in a modern bedroom, unsuited, billiard room and office upstairs.  Downstairs all the timber trims around the sandstone was removed to simplify the internal appearance. We removed walls and made openings in existing walls to allow light and views to penetrate. New timber floors were limed and the ceilings were painted turquoise. All the pointing was removed from the sandstone inside and out and the sandstone was tuck pointed.

In order to feature the sandstone we built a glass and timber wall on the beach side of the building 900mm beyond the existing stone walls and we did a similar detail at the entrance. Modern kitchen and bathrooms together with beach furniture and we have created a timeless building which is just as modern today as when we renovated it in 1988. This house has also proved to be a great success and it is joy to enter. Again we planted a tropical garden where there was no garden at all and the result is a cool and lush vibrant outside environment today.